Portable bag for transporting and storing shoes



s. BELLER Z PORTABLE BAG FOR TRANSPORTING AND STORING SHOES July 5, 19602 Sheets-Sheet Filed June 11, 1956 JNVENTOR. SOLO/ 10A! EEAL (5Qllllllll ll ih wkw v l'llull'lulll A Tram Ex July 5, 1960 s. BELLER2,943,899

PORTABLE BAG FOR TRANSPORTING AND STORING SHOES Filed June 11, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet 2 5 2 5&8. Q Q

JNVENTOR. S04 0/40A/ BEL L ER I34! 27 CLJLWH- SW41" Q .a wide variety ofshoes available to her.

United States Patent;

PORTABLE BA'G FOR TRANSPORTING AND STORING SHOES Solomon Beller, 560114th Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y.

Filed June 11, 1956, Ser. No. 590,546

1 Claim. (Cl. 312-3) The present invention relates to a portable bag fortransporting and storing shoes.

Modern fashions dictate that a well dressed lady have For example, awell dressed lady may even require separate pairs of shoes to match aparticular dress or outfit ensemble. Thus, even for a relatively shorttime period, as for a two-week vacation, a well dressed lady may requireas many as six separate pairs of shoes and perhaps even more.

The necessity for transporting and storing large numbers of shoes hasled to difiiculties. The more or less haphazard strewing of shoes on thefloor of a closet is undesirable not only for esthetic reasons, but alsobecause shoes when so positioned are relatively unavailable to the user.

This invention has as an object the provision of a portable bag fortransporting shoes about.

This invention has as another object the provision of a portable bag inwhich all of the shoes contained within the bag are displayed in anorderly arrangement permitting the user to make an immediate selection,when the bag is suspended on a horizontal rail.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there are shown in thedrawings forms which are presently preferred; it being understood,however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangementsand instrumentalities shown.

' Figure 1 is a perspective view of the shoe bag of thepresent inventionwith the cover thereof in closed disposition.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the shoe bag of the present inventionwith the cover thereof in open disposition.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged detail view showing the means forhanging shoes in the shoe bag embodiment of the invention shown inFigure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the shoe bag ofthe present invention with the cover thereof in open disposition.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail view of the shoe holding means in theshoe bag embodiment shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an elevational view of another embodiment of the presentinvention with the cover in open disposition.

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the embodiment of the presentinvention shown in Figure 6 with the cover open and secured to the backof the shoe bag.

Figure 8 is a rear elevational view of the embodiment of the presentinvention shown in Figure 6 with the cover partially secured to the rearof the shoe bag.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary section on line 99 of Figure 6.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary view of a portion of one of the verticalI-shaped elements of yet another embodiment of the shoe bag of thepresent invention.

2,943,899 Patented July 5, 1960 Figure 11 is a fragmentary perspectiveview of a modification of the shoe bag of the present invention showingone form of handle embodiment in which the hook uprightly disposed andthe handle is disposed in horizontal position.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to that of Figure1-1 in which the hook is horizontally disposed and the handle isdisposed in an upright posi- I tion.

Referring to the drawings, and initially to Figures 1, 2 and 3 the shoebag of the present invention is designated by the numeral 10 andcomprises a rectangular container having side walls 12, a rear wall 14,a ceiling 16, and a base 18. The cover 20 is pivotably? hinged to thebase 18 along crease line 22. The elements of a zipper 24 are providedon the free edges of the side walls 12, 'the ceiling 16, and thefreeedges of the cover 20.

The side walls 12, rear wall 14, ceiling 16 and cover 20 of the shoe bag10 of the present invention may be formed from a flexible plastic, andmay be colored, or translucent, or transparent. The shoe bag 10 ismaintained in its expanded condition with the plastic components'thereof being prevented from collapsing by means of the skeletalframework 26. The skeletal framework 26 is preferably formed of rigidwire, such as plastic or metal wire. The skeletal framework 26 includeslateral I-shaped elements 28, with the upper horizontal portion of suchof the l-shaped elements 28 being nested in an upper corner of the bag10, and the lower horizontal portion of each of the I-shaped elementsbeing nested in a lower corner of the bag 10. The vertical portion ofeach of the I-shaped elements 28 serves as a supporting rib for theadjacent side wall 12 and is positioned intermediate the edges of suchside wall 12, preferably along the centerline thereof. An upperhorizontal rib 30 and a lower horizontal rib 32 join the I-shapedelements 28 at ,center bar 34. While, as above-indicated, fourhorizontal crossbars 40 are shown in the illustrated embodiment, it is,of course, to be understood that a greater or smaller number of suchhorizontal crossbars may is used in the shoe bag of the presentinvention. a

Each horizontal crossbar 40 is provided witha series of laterally spacedhanger elements 42 which may comprise shoe clips, such as thespring-urged shoe clips shown in the drawings. Shoes 44 are suspendedfrom each of the hangers or shoe clips 42, and are disposed in neatorderly arrangement, as shown particularly in Figure 2. Since thehorizontal crossbars 40 are positioned substantially midway between therear wall '14 and the cover 20, when the cover 20 is in its closeddisposition, the shoes 44 when suspended as shown in Figure 2 may bepivoted somewhat without striking rear wall 14 or cover 20. It is notpossible for the shoes 44 to strike each other, even when the shoe bag10 of the present invention is suspended on a moving Vehicle and issubject to con siderable agitation.

In the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figures 4 and 5, thehorizontal crossbars 40a are not provided with hanger elements, butinstead are provided with upwardly directed curved or bowed members 46onto which the shoes 44 may be fitted as shown particularly in Figure 5.

Y shoe bag of the present invention has great structural strength, andmay be transported about fromplace to place without any injurywhatsoever to the shoes 44. The shoes 44 are at all times displayed inorderly alignment and'inay' be readily removed by the 'n'serbf the shoebag 10. Inasmuch as'ready access'to the s'h6es 44 maybe obtained byopening the zipper 2 4, the

shoe bag 10 provides a convenient "permanent storage upright positionpermitting the user of the shoe bag to 7 transport it from place toplace as shown in Figure12.

space forshoes, the shoe contents thereof being protected 'fromdust'when the cover 20 is elosed.

'In 'the embodiment 'of the present invention shown in -Figures'6; 7,8and 9, the I-shaped elements 28a and the "embodiment of the presentinvention the hanger elements -3 2a'on "each of the horizontal'crossbars40b are staggered with respect to the hanger elements 42a on thehorizontal c'rossbar40b above and/or below it. By staggeringthe' haiigerelements 42a in the manner indicated, interference "between shoescarried or} one horizontal crossbar 40b -andshoes carried on an adjacenthorizontal crossbar 40B is avoided. Thevertical spacing of horizontalcross- "har s' '40b may be regulated by selectively placingsuchhorizontal crossbars 40b a predeterrnined notch 50. In the embodiment ofthe present invention shown in Figures 6,'7, 8 and 9, means are providedwhereby a cover 20a may be secured to the rear wall 14a of the "shoebag. facilitates neatness, and prevents the cover "204 from beingstrewnon the closet floor. Thus, the l outer surface of cover 20a is providedwith female snap fastener elements 52 which may be matingly secured to'male snap fastener elements 54 on rear wall'14a.

In the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 10, leafsprings 56 are provided adjacent each of the vertical notches 50a in thevertical I-shaped elements' for preventing the dislodgrnent ofhorizontal cross- 400 from the jnotches 50a. In all other respects theI-shaped element shown in Figure 10 resembles that 7 shown in' Figures6, 7, 8 and 9.

In'the embodiment of the'present invention shown in Figures 11 and 12,the hook 33a is'pivotally mounted by means of pivot 58 to verticalcenter bar 34b, Thus, the hook 38a may be raised as in Figure 11 so thatthe shoe bag may be carried on a horizontal rail or the like, or

' may'belowered as in Figure 12.

e In this embodiment the upper; horizontal rib 30a is 7 provided withsemicircular bends 60 which pass through horizontally on the uppersurface of ceiling 16a as shown Figure 11, or the handle 64 may bedisposed in an In all other respects the embodiment shown in Figures 11and 12 may resemble the embodiments shown in Figures '1, 2 and 3; orFigures 4 and 5; or Figures 6, 7, 8

and 9; of Figure 10; and may be incorporated in any one of suchembodiments.

The present invention maybe embodied in other specific forms .withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and,accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claim, rather thanto the foregoing specification 'a's indic'ating the scope of theinvention.

A portable shoe bag comprising a generally rectangular multipanelprismatic housing formed of relatively flexible material, an internalskeletal framework including a plurality of parallel vertical bars, -aplurality of parallel horizontal bars, the ends of said horizontal barsbeing Toined to the outermost of said vertical bars,-with the'ends ofthe uppermost and lowermost horizontal bars being -joine'd to theadjacent ends of the outermost vertical' 'bars, spaced shoe retentionmeans' carried on each of said hori-- zontalbars, 'said horizontaland'verticalbars lying gen erally in the same plane, a corner barpositioned generally normal to both said vertical bars and'saidhorizontalbars at each of the'ends of the outermost of said verticalbars and the corresponding ends of the uppermost and lower- 7 tion inthe ceiling of said'housing, and a hanger for suspending said shoe bagto a support extending outside ot said housing through said perforation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS906,347 Willner Dec. 8, 1908. 918,196 Price z fi Apr. 13, 19091,368,843, Rosenthal- Feb. 15,1921 1,404,270 ,.Carr' Jan. 24, 19221,494,555 Smith Jan. 24, 1922,

1,606,401 Craft NOV. 9, 1926' 7 1,828,535, K388 ..0Ct. 20; 193152,016,520 Short Oct. 8, 1935 2,205,099 Lentz June 18, 1940 2,561,841Cart' ;z s July 24, 1951 2,596,412 Kish et a1 May 13, 1952 2,613,816Sbicca Oct. 14, 1952 v FQREIGN PATENTS Great Britain May 20, 1949 MW, erv a p

